Fate
by PHYSCHOCHIC3
Summary: The story of how Elinor found out her betrothal to Lord Fergus, and how their romance blossoms from there on...


**I KNOW THAT THIS ISN'T HISTORICALLY CORRECT, BUT NEITHER IS THE MOVIE. I REALLY WANT TO KNOW WHAT YEAR THIS MOVIE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE BASED ON, SO I CAN SEE WHAT I DID WRONG. ALL MISTAKES ARE MINE, AND I DON'T OWN THIS MOVIE, ONLY THIS FANFIC.**

Fate-by PS

Elinor was fifteen when her father told her that she was to be married to one of the neighboring warlord's son, a boy of seventeen named Fergus.

She was content to play the humble daughter and bowed to her lord father, fighting back tears as she left the room on padded slippers. Her mother had little to say on the matter. She never did,

And that was how Elinor found herself spending her time in her room or outdoors, breathing in the crisp air and grooming her white mare with careful duty as she stared sadly at her own reflection in the water bucket.

It was three months later when the warlord of her father's choice came to celebrate the engagement, bringing along a multitude of people, including his son.

When they arrived Elinor kept herself in her room, watching them silently from her window, her dress corseted to the seams and her hair tightly braided behind her back in a long brown stream.

The warlord had now been promoted, now a Clan leader since his own father had passed, as he told the group over a large feast of roasted beasts and much wine.

Her father had taken the news in stride, carefully following each word and forming a plan in his head as her mother simply watched, a polite smile on her otherwise vacant face.

It was later when Elinor and Fergus officially met, his father bringing him up to meet the girl, talking loudly and smacking him on the shoulder, speaking of her good looks and mild manners.

Fergus was a tall lad, heavily muscled with flaming red curls and big blue eyes that spoke wonders, his smile was easy to come forth and his deep voice made her muscles tremble.

This was a powerful man, someone who would rule over a Clan in the future, a man that could easily break her if he wanted, but, his fingers were gentle as he took her hand in his to kiss it, and his lips, though rough as they were, were almost delicate in the slight touch.

She blushed for minutes after this occurrence.

Fergus, his father, and their company stayed for nearly two weeks, talking and planning of the wedding in everyone's minds, and the chaperoning of the pair as they toured the gardens.

Elinor learned that she enjoyed Fergus's company, nervous as she was. He was witty and always found things to laugh at heartily; he seemed genuinely interested in her and her likes, asking questions that ranged from her favorite color to what she liked best about her home.

Her answers were short and tense at first, but as the days wore on she became more open, talking to him as though he were a close friend that she had known for an eternity, commenting on whatever came to her mind, more open with him than she was with her own family.

She felt saddened as his Clan made to leave, wishing him safe journey and gasping quietly when his lips remained on her hand longer than necessary.

He had looked up at her with those deep blue eyes and spoke seriously, "I will come back for you, and when I do, we will be together."

She shivered, feeling as though he had swept her off of her feet and taken her off to some barbaric camp while declaring she was his to the world.

Instead of saying so she slowly nodded to him, looking him in the eye, "I look forward to it."

He gave her a quick grin then mounted his steed, falling in beside his father as they left.

Elinor did not go to dinner that night…

It was two months later before Elinor heard or saw anything of Fergus.

One day his entourage simply turned up at their gate, Fergus calmly stating to her father that he had come to collect her and wed her, telling that his own father had died and that he was now the leader of his Clan.

Elinor felt sad for her betrothed, but was also excited while her father was furious.

"How dare he come here and demand her?! He has no right!" He ranted as the maids placed food on the table for dinner while Elinor stood in the shadows listening.

Her mother simply sat at the table, gaze straight ahead as the furious man in front of her paced, then, finally, she spoke, "there is nothing we can do. You promised her to him, and think of how rich and prosperous that Fergus boy is now, a Clan leader no less. The profit will be ready and sweet."

Elinor's father stopped his pacing and thought on this, then, "you are right. We shall have her packed and ready to leave by mid-afternoon tomorrow. Let him marry her in his own land, then he can do as he pleases with her."

Elinor knew exactly what he meant by that…

True to his word, Elinor's father had personally made sure that Elinor had packed her belongings and was ready to go by the time lunch came around.

She was perched upon her white steed in no time at all, carts of her luggage making a caravan behind her.

Neither her mother nor her father bid her goodbye, only giving a nod in her direction and going back inside their stone walls; even though neither had never shown her real affection before it still hurt.

Silence met her in company as she rode in the middle of the band, Fergus near the front leading the way, her mare her only companion as the journey droned on…

They arrived at Fergus's home in two days, stopping only for rest and when it rained; Elinor had seen little of her soon to be husband, and they had not talked once.

The countryside was lovely and Elinor breathed in the cool air, letting the smell of fresh flowers envelope her. Butterflies flew by and she laughed quietly, smiling up at them, then looking forward again, seeing if anyone else had noticed them, what she saw was even more interesting, Fergus looking back at the caravan, his eyes directly on her.

She remained flushed for nearly an hour, but, by the time they made it to Fergus's manor excitement filled her. Townspeople went about their everyday lives, some stopping in their work to point out at the group and Elinor would smile at them, trying to win over her future subjects with a kind expression before she even got to meet them.

The expanse of the mansion itself was enormous, a large stable area for the horses, where Elinor was sure that her horse would be comfortable; and a large space for workers to gather or go about their daily duties.

She was settled in by a kind maid who helped to show her around the castle as Fergus was to busy.

When it was dinner time she changed into a different gown, as her traveling one was dirty and needed washing, and headed down to the great hall, finding it filled with lords and various peoples of the Clan.

She was seated at the high table, next to Fergus. The hall was crowded and filled with people, making it hard for her to find anything to talk about with Fergus, hard to start a conversation.

It made her agitated that she felt so embarrassed and flushed around the man that she once called friend a few months back, but then she remembered, she was to be married to his man, and surely he could not be her friend. After all, her mother and father were married, but they practically despised one another, only coming together to plot and scheme.

"Are you alright?" The question came from beside her and Elinor turned her head, her brown eyes looking straight into worried blue ones.

She cleared her throat, "oh, yes, fine. Thank you."

Fergus looked worried though, his brows furrowing, "are you sure? You look a bit peaky. Maybe you should lie down and get some rest, we have traveled a long way with little rest."

His concern both touched and irritated her, "alright. Yes, perhaps that would be good idea. If you'll excuse me."

She quickly stood up, bobbed a curtsy and walked swiftly away even before her engaged could stand up…

Elinor lay in the bed, staring up at the bed curtains then at the window.

She could not sleep, not with the strange noises of an unknown battlement and the sound of people still laughing from the hall.

She bit her lip in the dark and reached up to tug at a piece of hair, letting it slid from her fingers as she rolled onto her side, staring instead at the door, almost as if daring it to open to an intruder.

After staring at the grainy wood for what seemed like hours, she finally drifted off to sleep…

The wedding was to be in three days she found out the next morning over a breakfast of apple pastries and fresh milk. The maid from earlier, named Maudie, had served it to her and told her the news, folding clean linens and putting them in cupboards.

Elinor swallowed a mouthful of the still steaming food, "might I ask where Lord Fergus is?"

The stout maid clapped herself on the forehead, "I nearly forgot miss! Lord Fergus wants you to meet him near the stable once you've finished your breakfast."

Elinor made sure not to look like she was rushing as she continued eating, though, really, that was just what she was doing…

After dressing in a clean riding gown Elinor hurried down to the stables, happy and a bit flushed to see Fergus already down when she got there.

He was telling a story to one of the baker's children, not yet noticing her, so Elinor opted for staying in the shadows and watching him.

Once he was finished she revealed herself, "you're very good with children."

He turned briskly, smiling warmly at her, "oh, its nothing. Just tell the wee things a story and they'll go straight off to being cheerful.'

She smiled at him, "you wished to see me?"

He scratched the back of his head, looking sheepish, "well, we didn't get to talk much on the way here, or at your father's house…so, I thought I'd take you on a ride to see the countryside."

Excitement barely held in Elinor nodded, a smile gleaming on her face, "that sounds lovely."

Fergus looked excited as well, "I had hope you'd say that, I already had your mare saddled."

She laughed as he nearly blushed, mounting the white steed and letting him lead the way out of the manor's yard and onto the trail…

It really was beautiful on this side of Scotland, Elinor thought as they rode on, Fergus chatting away, pointing out various places and telling notable stories about things.

The sky was clear with little fluffy clouds, and the grass swayed in a gentle breeze as they observed mountains and chuckling brooks along the way.

Fergus chattered on, suddenly letting out a yell as a bird flew straight at him then dove away with a twitter. Elinor laughed loudly, watching the big man flounder on his saddle as he regained his seat.

Fergus looked dreamily at her, "I love it when you laugh. You have such a pretty smile."

Elinor let her laugher die away, biting her lip and staring over at him from her horse.

They stared like that for a while until suddenly Elinor felt a wet drop hit her head, breaking eye contact to look up at the sky, seeing the clouds from earlier suddenly dark and angry.

Fergus growled in annoyance, "we should be getting back. Don't want to get caught in bad weather."

They rode back in companionable silence, rain splattering them gently until they reached the ramparts of the manor, then, it crashed down on them, letting loose a hurtle of splatters.

They quickly put away the horses and left the stable boys to unsaddle and groom them, rushing inside to part, Elinor leaving for her wing to dry off while Fergus went to go start entertaining his guests.

As she watched him walk away at a brisk pace, catching up with a servant to talk to him, Elinor felt as though she was falling a little in love with the tall Scotsman…

The next few days passed quickly, Elinor usually only seeing Fergus at their nightly meal when they sat next to one another, happily chatting. Fergus seemed to be busy training, but for what Elinor didn't know.

It was the day before the wedding though when she found out…

They were walking in the garden together, Fergus still sweaty and dirty from his earlier training, Elinor not minding at all, just happy to be in his company.

Finally, the question was brought up, "Fergus, why are you always training?"

The hulking red giant sighed, brushing his fingers on a few blooming flowers, "there's a war coming Elinor. We, the other three clan leaders and myself, have already discussed what to do about it. These invaders from the North want to come and take over our lands, and we can't allow this."

Elinor stopped walking and looked up at him, "is it only for the land you fight for, or for the people too?" She knew how greed turned people into monsters, she didn't want the same fate for Fergus.

Her betrothed looked down at her, blue eyes, for once, unreadable, "I fight for us all. For the people milling inside and outside these walls and all through this country, I fight for myself…and for you." He stared into her eyes then, and Elinor felt her insides melt.

"Oh," was all that she could mutter, taking a shaky step forward.

Had she looked back she would have seen Fergus's grin…

Elinor woke the next morning to the sound of birdsong filling the air. It was cold inside of her room, but a raging fire in the hearth warmed the air. Then, she realized.

It was her wedding day.

A huge smile came to her face as she sat up in her bed, staring at the bleak gray walls as the grin stretched her skin wide.

A knock came from the door, Maudie entering a moment later, "good morrow my lady," she bobbed a curtsy, "today is very special, yes?"

Elinor bit her lip, "yes Maudie, yes it is…"

**PLEASE REVIEW! NOT SURE IF THIS IS THE END, I'M WORKING ON A SECOND CHAPTER, OR A PART TWO, OF THIS, BUT IT'S CRAPPY SO FAR. SO, I'LL MARK THIS AS COMPLETE. THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING!**


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